Do... Shoot!

This is SO an experience I must scrapbook!

This past Saturday, we went to the ex-laws to celebrate an early Christmas, before cold & flu season really settle in... and before snow. 

Oh, "what is an ex-law" you ask?  Aha... therein is quite a story, but for this post, I will give you the down and dirty details.  My dear husband was married before I met him.  Actually, he was married when I met him.  The wife before I met him was ex-wife #1.  The wife I knew when I met him is now ex-wife #2.  Me?  Well, so far, I'm "third time's a charm"... and hopefully will NEVER be "third strike, he's out". 

Anyway, before I go into any more gruesome details... the long and the short of it is that our elder two children are from his first marriage.  And skipping all kinds of nasty details, his ex-wife no longer talks with her family (mother, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew).  In fact, her kids no longer stay in contact with her either.  So, at some point in time, her family contacted me for "permission" to see the kids.  I'm not in the business of coming between families, as I told them, so arrangements were made and over the years, this family has embraced me instead of their own daughter/sister, et al.  So, twice a year we get together... their family reunion and at Christmastime.  Not knowing what to call them, as they are not my family, and "my husband's first ex-wife's mother/sister" is a little cumbersome, I now refer to them as the ex-in-laws... or, the ex-laws for short.

But I digress.  We went to the ex-laws to celebrate their Christmas before all kinds of illness and snow took over.  Now... the ex-laws live in a rural part of the state, and thus... well, they are very down-to-earth people who enjoy hunting season.  Since deer-gun season opened today, they were going to spend some time this past weekend sighting their guns.  I, not being a person who has ever touched a gun, guessed that this meant they were making sure the gun was shooting where they thought it was shooting. Good guess!

After "the Men" (cue Tim Allen caveman grunt here), went out and shot off several rounds at a target, they came back inside.  I don't know HOW this happened, but the bro-ex-law said to me, "do you want to shoot?"

Pause.

Not a long pause, because my mind does travel fast.  But a pause.  My mind spun... it is a "Do" year... this is an opportunity to do something I've never done before... when would I have an opportunity like this again... "Okay, sure, I'll shoot."

Pause.  A slightly bigger one this time.  I think I surprised people.  Then loudness... people talking all at once.  "Okay!"  "Let's go."  "I've got to see this!"  "Get my camera!"  And my husband,  "You sure?

Out we go.  I throw a heavier shirt on (it's cold).  And then, they pulled the target in.  It was out 100 yards, but they pulled it up for me... 40 yards.  Still a respectable distance, I think.

A quick "how to work the gun" course by my husband.  The bro-ex-law (picture, Larry the Cable Guy), heads out to tape up a target.  He comes back and they all start telling me to look for the orange dot (the bullseye) and cracking jokes.  I'm laughing and can't see the target through the sight on the rifle.  I'm laughing and can't keep the gun steady. 

Okay... I *think* I see the target, so I say so (everyone laughs) and I pull the trigger.  Uh.  Nothing happened.  My dear, loving husband reaches over my shoulder and disengages the safety.  Heh.  That helps.

Shot #1.  "Did I hit the target?"  Everyone laughs... no one can see but they think they heard it hit a tree.  More laughter.  Photo op.  Shot #2.  I can NOT keep the gun steady enough to keep the target in sight.  Shot #3, #4, #5.  I have to rest my arm.  This piddly rifle is heavier than it looks!  Okay... hold my breath (helps to keep the gun steady), shots #6-10.  I'm out.

"Let's go see if you actually hit it!"  Bro-ex-law reaches the target first and ... he really sounded impressed... says, "you got quite a few in the black!" and then counts off the holes "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9..."  Yep, one shot unaccounted for.  I chalk that up to my first shot.

"Look," says the girl-niece, "look how proud she looks!"

She wants to try so she shoots off a bunch.  Of course, she shows me up.  And I want to go again... I sit down this time and shoot faster after being able to better steady the gun.  I felt good.  I really felt like I was aiming well. And...
Check It Out!

One Bullseye!!

ANIMAL!

So... anyone who knows me well, knows I LOVE The Muppets, especially Animal.  I was very saddened when Jim Hensen died so many years ago and they haven't been the same for me but... BUT...

My sister posted this on her Facebook page a few days ago, now I'm seeing that it has "gone viral" so I had to share it here too... LOVE IT! 

The Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody:



Oh! And tomorrow, I'll be back to tell you about my 'one little word' moment (remember, my word is DO this year). We visited the ex-laws today and I had a Do moment...

Turkey Day Desserts

It's nearly midnight on Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving day.  I just got out of the kitchen for the first time since 6pm.  And I still didn't get all the desserts done.  I promised a friend a pumpkin cake for their Thanksgiving dinner since she has had some repeated health issues and surgeries lately and I did not get that done.  I feel guilty, but I have offered her other options... as in I can make it tomorrow, or Friday and they can have it for their anniversary on Sunday.  I hope that's okay.

Want to see what's on the menu?  While I am NOT the best food photog out there, here's what we've got going on for dessert this Thanksgiving:

First, the one I didn't make:

Peanut Butter Pie

My friend made me that one.  Although, I took the richness one step further and added the chopped up Reese's peanut butter cups on top.  My youngest, a Reese's cup fanatic, will love this.  Although she's not one for rich desserts, so we'll see.

Next up, was my pound cake.  Had a little trouble so it's too dark around the edges.  My racks weren't set up right in the oven.  That makes all the difference sometimes.

This isn't a dessert in and of itself... it's for the Dessert-With-No-Name.  These have since been cubed up and will be layered, tomorrow, with pudding, fruit and Cool Whip.  Yum.  Too tired to finish it tonight.

Next up... my pumpkin pie.  Or, as my son says, Punkinpie. 

This smelled soooo yummy while it was baking.  Believe it or not, I don't like pie but the scent of it baking... MMMMmmmmmmmm... it sets my mouth drooling.

And last but not least, my apple pie.  I had a discussion with my son today as we were making this.  He was such a champ and peeled, cored and sliced my apples for me.  That job kills my hands so I was super grateful for this.  He asked me many questions.  One of them was, "do you know how many apples you need for this?"  He was asking because as he was peeling and cutting, he didn't think we'd have enough but as it turned out, I had bought the exact number of apples needed.  I told him that  I'd been making the pie for a very long time and I have a good idea on how many apples I need, depending on the size of the apples.  He was impressed. 

Another question was, "was your pie always this good?"  I told him that it was as good as the first time I made it... in Home Economics class in High School... when I was 16.  I think it surprised him a little that I have been baking it for so long.  I told him that my dad only made two suggestions when I made it for him... 1) tone down the sugar (depending on the apples) and 2) chunk, don't slice, the apples.  And I've been making it that way ever since. 

I also don't make a two-crust pie.  I use a crumbly topping.  Here I am putting the topping on... my favorite part:

My son took the photo.  Look at those yummy apples.  I'm a little concerned how this will turn out because I didn't use my old stand-by apples for this pie.  I typically use Mutsu/Crispin apples, but I missed the season to get my half-bushel.  So... we'll see how it turns out this year.

Oh yum, this pie was smellin' up the house with cinnamon-y, apple aroma wafting around.  Finally, out it came and here is the result:

Look at that gooey appley juice dribbling out.   As it cools it will flatten out; right now it's still heaping.  But yum!  Too bad I don't eat pie.  LOL!

My son asked me, too, "if you don't eat your own pie, how do you know it's good?"  I laughed and said, "you've requested it every year and everyone I've made it for has liked it so I go by that indicator."

I wish I had been able to make the pumpkin cake and take a photo of that... it is my pride and joy.  My sister made it when I was a young to mid-teen.  I was afraid to try it because it had pumpkin in it (I detested pumpkin at that age).  But she enticed me because it also has chocolate chips in it.  I have been HOOKED on it ever since and have many people ask me for that every year too.  YUM!  Well, when I get to it, I'll try to remember to take a photo and post it.

Anyway... as I sit here yawning... I hope you have yummy things planned for tomorrow, whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving.  I know I'm ready for turkey and peanut butter pie! 

Enjoy all... and Happy Thanksgiving!

I Went, I Survived... I Created!

So... most of last week was devoted to working at my local scrapbook store's "scrapbook camp".  As always, it was a blast and as always, it was exhausting.  I get very stressed leading up to this retreat, just because there's always so much to do to prepare for it... not to mention just general life, my day job, my family and being in the midst of the holiday season.  Every time, I take everything including the kitchen sink and every time, I get sorely disappointed about how little I get done.  This time, while I still was packed to the gills, I did purposefully leave things home and I set a very small set of goals:

1)  Complete a calendar for a Christmas gift for one of the ex-laws
2)  Complete a pack of handmade cards and gift holder for one of the ex-laws
3)  Start, if not complete, creating my Christmas cards.
4)  And with all of the projects above, I set a goal to K.I.S.S.  (Keep It Simple, Sweetie)

What did I get done?  #1?  Check.  #2?  Check.  #3??  CHECK!  Well, I didn't get ALL of my Christmas cards done, but I did complete two sets of cards (two different designs), which is a huge start for me.  Wanna see?  I knew you would! 

Okay... lest I bore you with twelve months of calendar pages, here is January and July so you can get an idea of how well I kept it simple.

Nothing major, but I liked it when it was all done.  Let's see... here are a couple of the cards I made for the gift set.  I made a set of 6, two of each design:

And, last but not least, here's one of the Christmas cards I created.  I'm only showing one of the sets so far, because the other one may be going to a few people who might just glance at this blog, and really... why ruin the surprise?!

It was very flattering, too, that as I was making some of these cards, some of the women who were at the retreat were very flattering and complimentary.  One woman, in particular, bought all of the product I was using for one of my Christmas cards (not shown) to scraplift my card for herself.  I was very flattered and a little excited.

Is that wrong?

Anyway, I just wanted to share what I'd been up to since I've been missing in action recently.  I hope to get a little more scrapping done ... the rest of my holiday cards at least... this Thanksgiving weekend.  I do have some travel and work over the weekend and into next week, but I'd love to carve out a couple hours to get that done.

Wish me luck!

Full Scrap Mode Now!

I think we're having fun now.  Don't you?

Before They Arrive

So... here we are at scrapbook camp.  We are in a new location, as I explained yesterday, but it's pretty nice digs. People have plenty of space to spread out with a full 8-foot table all to themselves.  We have a large projected screen behind where my co-worker and friend (who shall now be known as Scrap Goddess - her term, not mine... sorry!) and I sit.  We brought a bunch of DVDs and CDs to watch and listen to.

Here's the room:

If you can see the screen all the way at the end, there are two tables in front of the screen - that's where we are sitting, facing all of the campers.  We get a little crick in the neck when we want to see the movie but ya know?  They're MY movies and I can just go home and watch 'em, right? 

And here is where our classroom is:

You can see the mini-store behind the class tables.  Here's a better look:

After we got it all set up last night (putting up tables, unpacking the papers and embellishments and putting pu the store, placing out handouts on the table and setting up all of our own supplies), we were exhausted!!  Here... here's the Scrap Goddess after we were done setting up - she crashed...

I felt the same.  Okay, I'm off to be PRODUCTIVE... more later...

Packin' and Unpackin'

Well, I got it all packed up.  It's all transported.  And now it's unpacked.  Tomorrow officially starts our scrappin' retreat.  BEAUTIFUL rooms here... (it's a new place for us).  I took some photos of my friend who's here with me, but tomorrow will take some of just the room (bedroom and scraproom)...

So, this is a camp that is hosted by a local scrapbook store where I work part time.  We have been hosting these for over 10 years, and typically at the same location.  However, this year, 2009, we've held both camps at new locations.  This one is nice and we're "early" with what we have gotten done.  And... I'm much more releaxed.  We're off to a better start than we were last year at this time.  We were hurting... exhausted... and sick.  I had a really bad experience hosting the scrapbook camp last year with one participant in particular, to the point where I just lost it, broke down and cried.  I thought I would never, ever do another camp again.  But here I am... and very happy to be here. 

For now... I'm tuckered but wanted to share that I'm off having some scrappin' fun.  The family is home without me, and I'm being pampered in a hotel room where someone else picks up after ME.

In the meantime, since I'm obviously distracted... what's going on out there in blogging land?  I can't wait to see (and JOIN) a blog party!  What's everyone else doing?  Hosting or joining or visiting any blog parties yet/lately?  Do tell...

Overwhelmed!

I need to take this:

and get it packed up and organized for a scrapbooking retreat by Wednesday morning.

HELP!

Off To See The Wizard...

Hey there friends!  The title to this post will make sense, I promise... just keep reading.  I guess I'm just feeling a little random today.

First of all, thanks so much to those of you who commented on my "stuck with no style" post. Y'all have given me some thoughts to think. Some thoughts already thunked (grin):

1) Do I need a style? Maybe my style is everchanging... and that's okay. Thanks Anthea, chksngr, Maria and Angela2932 ... I'm glad to know that others' feel that their style is undefined or evolving.

2) Scraplifting is an absolute... and it's not wrong. Thanks Cheri for helping me think of that... it's okay to have the "class du jour" style and then head back to my simple, collage type of scrapbooking.

3) I feel a relief to know that it doesn't come easy to me... thanks Sharyn and Angela for keeping me company there. It really is nice to know... because sometimes I start thinking these negative thoughts that if it doesn't come easy, why am I doing it? So, yes, good to know that I'm not alone. :)

4) And perhaps I DO have a style... I just don't see it. I think I might ask some friends who have seen me scrapbook and ask their opinion. Thanks Vicki (Me.....) and Angela for pointing out that I may not see it but others might.

Until I "find" my style... some things I'm going to work on:

• Try to "let go" and just wander and "see what happens".
• Look back at some old layouts and make a list of things I love and try to do those more often.  And do less of those things I don't like.
• Just scrap in a way that makes ME happy.

And speaking of what makes me happy (here comes the title tie in... watch out...)

The Wizard of Oz has played no less than 3 times this weekend and I LOVE THIS MOVIE... so, I'm watching it (for the 3rd time)  as I post. This is the movie that always makes me think of Thanksgiving... which is when I remember it playing on TV as a kid.
So, some trivia for my favorite movie... and there's plenty with this one, I can tell you...

Did you know they cut a song and dance called The Jitterbug? In this clip they accidentally left a reference to it in the movie. The Wicked Witch sends the scary flying monkeys to get Dorothy, and one of her lines refers to the Jitterbug:

"...and send the little insect on ahead to take the fight out of them."

Check it out:


I never tuned into that line as a kid... I guess I wasn't into that detail.  But now when I hear it, just like all the other "mistakes", it makes me smile.

In case you're wondering what the Jitterbug song sounded like... here you go. Obviously since it was cut from the movie, it's not available in that format... but do a search on YouTube and you can find almost anything:



Recognize the voice?  Any old Batman series fans out there?  Or am I showing my age again?

Since The Wizard of Oz is a huge fave of mine... watch for more trivia (or not, if you don't want to spoil the "perfection" of the film for yourself)...

Okay, okay... enough for tonight.   Remember to let me know what you think - one page or two?  For now, I'm off to Oz... we've just reached the Emerald City...

Stuck with No Style...

I envy all those scrapbookers out there who have a "style".  Something that makes them recognizable.  Oh, look, that's Tim Holtz's project... he's distressed/layered/masked/inked the hell out of it! 

Image from Tim Holtz's Online Gallery

Or, oh, check this layout out, it's got to be {insert designer's name here} because she always does {this} on her layouts.

I don't have a scrapbook style and I so long for one.  If I had to label my "style" it would be "beginner-old-school".  I'm not comfortable with jumping out of that zone.  Even though I teach others that there are no mistakes in scrapbooking... I'm afraid to make one myself.  It doesn't come easy to me, scrapbooking that is.  Everyone in my life says I'm creative - but shouldn't creativity come easy?  I agonize over layouts... and I keep adding and adding, junking it up... and then I want to take it away because I know that's not the style of the day.

Styles I love right now:

• Anything Tim Holtz (of course, my idol - and he makes everything look so EASY)
• Minimalism... I LOVE that look of white space, but when I go to create the layout, I can't stop myself from adding.
• Layered Embellishments - I can't ever seem to get my layers to look... right.

There are a few others, but I don't know what to "name" them... so I'll come back later with more styles.  For now, though, what is YOUR style?  Does this come easy to you?  How long did it take for you to find your style?

I'm interested... I'm so stuck right now, with what I feel is No style.

Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You... Yes, I Do...

No... this post is not about Tom Jones.  Unless someone out there has a kitty named Tom Jones? Well... nevermind...

So. 

I love cats.  I own four.  Or, rather, they own me.  We met one on my blog earlier, here.  Don't get upset, dog lovers... I love dogs too.  I own two.  And yes, they own me too.  I am wrapped around all of their little paws and wagging tails.  I LOVE crazy pet antics.  Thanks to this recent post I read on Nancy's blog where her kitten posted (yes, her kitten posted) about her favorite "quirks", I thought of some of my favorite kitty videos.  While all of my animals have their own personalities, dogs and cats alike, I want to focus on kitty antics.  I love to find cat antics on YouTube.  Here are some of my absolute favorites that make me giggle every time:

I have a fat kitty, and he's funny to watch... but this fat cat and a diet drink box makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it:




My kitties love fresh water from the tap... but not like THIS!




And last but not least... meet Ninja Cat.  Either that, or someone really is talented on stop-motion animation.



Hope these made you at least smile today.  They make me giggle.

And, not to worry puppy lovers... I'll show some of my favorite doggy fun videos soon...

DO.

Back in December 2008, Ali Edwards posted about One Little Word.  She says, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow."  This blog post was discussed at SFTIO, where I first heard of it.  It really started me thinking about this one little word concept.  I am not a person who thinks about goals.  This is a big problem for me, because having no goals allows me to stand still in life, and I don't want that anymore.  So this one little word became a huge deal for me.  I chose a word... a goal... for 2009. 

Do.

Two letters and a period.  Do.  Nike expanded on that with "Just Do It".  I was bound and determined to not let the world pass me by.  To get up and Do something... set some goals, reach for them.  Do.

This was January 1, 2009.  I woke up early on New Year's Day and despite heavy congestion and coughing, I participated in The First on the First.  It's a 2K fun walk or a 5K race.  I had intended on the 5K, but because of my cold, I only completed the 2K.  But without that one little word, I most assuredly would have stayed in bed.
 
May 2009 brought me the Race for the Cure.  The day before my birthday, I walked one of the greatest 5K's of my life.  I had never particpated in one of these before, and it was just life-changing.  I will DO this again.
 

I have never experienced such a wave of people.  Amazing.

Now, don't get me wrong... walking was only one of my Do goals, although I also walked a 5K on Father's Day and a 10K this September (ouch).  I also wanted to read a book a month and I have done pretty well throughout the year, although October slipped by me way to quickly (why does it always do that?)  I have scrapbooked more for myself and less for others.  I have found reasons most days to be grateful, instead of always looking at the negative or the don't.  I have jumped in to some new experiences that in the past I would have let go by due to lack of confidence.  While there are many goals and hopes that I didn't achieve, looking back, I feel really positive that it has been a good "do" year.

Hmmm... all this is the makings of a wonderful layout.  I almost can't wait until December to create the layout for all the things I did... and to select my new one little word for 2010.  Stay tuned... I'm sure to post both here.

What about you?  What do you think of the "one little word" concept?  Try it out with me in 2010 if you've never done it before... see where it leads you.

21 Hours of Panic

Friday night it stopped working.  My technology life-line.  Crashed.  "Blue Screen of Death".  How could my faithful and loving companion do such a thing to me?

My laptop crashed and burned.  One minute (in the morning) it was working.  The next (when I got home that evening) it wouldn't boot.  Blue screen of death.  Couldn't even get into it in safe mode.  Some safety that is!  Whatever "safe mode" is.    (I only pretend to know.)

Panic sets in. I have not made a back-up of my files on this computer since 1902!  Maybe earlier!  And ... EVERYTHING is on it.  Everything.  Photos for many years time... business files... memories... work... my heart stopped.  The Husband was working late that night.  I had to work the next morning.  My laptop, the traitor, lay lifeless on the dining room table when I left.  I couldn't breathe.

Midway through my shift, I text-messaged The Husband. I would buy him anything he wanted if he could just retrieve my files.  Screw the laptop... it betrayed me.  Just bring me back the contents, I said, and you'll get anything you want.  Well, within reason, of course.  Maybe within a budget of $20. I didn't say that part.  Just please, please, get me those files!

The Husband... he is great.  He is powerful.  He is wonderful.  He is a GOD. 

I got home from my shift and all of my lifeblood (files) were stored safely on an external hard drive for me.  The laptop?  I don't care.  Because I also had this waiting for me...

The Husband gave me his laptop.  Permanently.  Wide-screen, newer, faster... Heaven. 

Life is good. 

(Oh, and his reward... his chosen reward?  Two McRib sandwiches from McDonalds.  While they last.  Is he great or what?)

Now and Later...

Now:

Later:

Complete with kitty #4

I'm in the process of moving from a
tiny little table in a very cramped corner
to 3/4 of an entire room with this lovely, spacious
conference-room-turned-scrapbooking table. 
I can't wait!

Sunshine and Wind...

Have you ever noticed that sunshine and wind have a distinct scent? My mother would hug me after I had been playing outside, and she would say to me, mmmmmm, you smell like sunshine. In my younger years, I couldn’t understand how sunshine had a “scent”. It was too far away to smell. As I aged, I became aware of this scent when my mom would hang our laundry outside on the clothesline to dry. Bringing it inside and folding it was a chore I had from a young age, and the lovely smell of “outside” was firmly in place as I was folding it. Perhaps exactly at that time… the folding period… I wasn’t quite aware of the scent, but a day or two later when putting on a clean, dried-outside shirt, or changing the sheets on my bed to sunshine-and-wind-dried bedding, boy-oh-boy was it pervasive! I have often said I want a clothesline in my back yard, but they just don’t seem very popular in my too-many-houses-too-close neighborhood.

Now that I’m a “grown-up”, I’m a work-a-hafta. Not quite a work-aholic… but I do have two-plus jobs in my life, and they are all necessary.  I have a husband, kids and zoo, to boot. It is an average day for me to leave my house at 7:30am and not get home until after 8pm, 10pm or sometimes midnight. Suffice it to say that going from one job to another, sitting in front of a computer at home doing freelance stuff, I don’t get outside much. And my days tend to run into each other without much remarkable happening.

Recently a person I've been seeing regarding my health informed me that I MUST get at least 10 minutes of sunshine a day. Let me just note that I’m a very fair-skinned, blonde-ish haired person. Sun and I don’t mix. But this person assured me that I would not burn to a crisp in 10 minutes a day. So… today, I took a “fresh air” break and lounged upon my car outside in the sunshine.

It was crisp outside. Bright sunshine. Wisps of clouds in a robin’s-egg blue sky. Brisk wind blowing about. Too bright to keep my eyes open (remember, I’m a sunshine light-weight). Facing the sun, I closed my eyes and forced myself to take in deep breaths of fresh air; something else that I am sorely lacking.

I listened. I could hear the tree across the parking lot… the dried leaves still on its branches rattling away in the wind. A single leaf behind me caught up by the wind skittered across the asphalt under my car. I hear other leaves scraping across the pavement.

Opening my eyes and squinting, I see what seems to be a race between two leaves… one bitty leaf from very far away suddenly picked up by the wind, flying across the lot and catching up to a larger leaf which seemed to not allow the wind to push it fast anymore. The little leaf chased the bigger, overtook it and skittered off across the lawn yonder. The bigger leaf – and I imagined it was very tired – was stuck by the step up onto the sidewalk.

I picked it up; the poor, dried up thing. I placed it on the sidewalk so the wind could push it away again. (It was a happy leaf as it skritched across the sidewalk to the lawn.) I felt the wind pushing at me, chilling my skin. I could nearly taste the chilled sweetness of the fall air.

It wasn’t until I returned inside though, back to my desk and computer, that I smelled that wonderful scent. I wasn’t outside anymore; where was it coming from? I raised my arm up, pressed my nose against my skin and inhaled. The fresh air and sunshine smell?

It was on me.

Habits To Which I'm Hopelessly Devoted...

I don't like to admit it, but I am frequently a "habit" girl.  I love having a process to follow and then, once established, I have a hard time deviating.  When it comes to each day, I have certain things I do in a certain order... always following the same path.  If I don't, it just isn't "right".  And although many days I go from one job to another and have little "free time", my day would be incomplete if I didn't visit certain places before my head hits the pillow.  And... just because today is a good day to share favorites (right fellow Shimelle-class followers?), I thought one or two of you might also like some of the same things...

First and foremost, I MUST visit Scrapbooking from the Inside Out EVERY day.  Sometimes multiple times.  Often I log into the boards and just hang out.  Never heard of it?  Well, if you are a scrapbooker, you might find it an interesting twist on the "normal" scrapbooking you do every day.  SFTIO is all about scrapbooking the inner you.  Not just events and people, but emotions and thoughts.  It is the one thing that has made me want to scrapbook when for a long, long time, there was a hole... a gap... in this hobby/craft.  Thanks to my friend,  I found the site when it was one day old and I have never left.  It is a kit club, a very open and supportive community and a major source of inspiration.  Please... check it out!  You don't have to be a kit club subscriber to join in on the inspiration and challenges...trust me, I devote the biggest piece of my "spare time" here.  I can't say enough good stuff about it!  I am hopelessly devoted...

However, aside from SFTIO, who inspires me?  My friend who recently opened up an Etsy shop called Say Anything Creations.  Not only do I love her handmade cards, but she inspires me to go forth and try to do something I really love.  I'm a very reserved person, when it comes to "going for it", because I fear failure... but, I take many lessons from this gal.  By the way, if you like cards that are a little off-color and non-traditional, check out her Christmas Card set featuring quotes from the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

YouTube, while I don't visit there every day, brings me great pleasure as well... because it allows me to find things that I thought were lost to me... like this video of Morgan Freeman singing in The Electric Company which makes me smile, and smile, and smile!  I suppose I'm showing my age, but I can't help it.  I watch this often!  Look and see if you can't smile!  Or the Free to Be You and Me excerpts.  Anyone else remember this?  We watched it in school... in the 1st and 2nd grade, along with the movie that showed what to expect in the "future" (read: by the year 2000)... things like cars that flew and roads that automated and regulated traffic and space between cars.  And the other thing I frequent YouTube for?  Many and varied videos of scrappy tutorials, including for my Wishblade and my fave grungy designer, Tim Holtz.

And last, but most certainly not least... I find inspiration, humor and yummy recipes at The Pioneer Woman's site.  I visit every day and find PW to be extremely entertaining.  Plus, I love her photography section and have learned so much (and know there is so much more to learn) from her and the other particpants on her site.  I MUST get her cookbook and will be asking for one for Christmas.  Healthy food?  Not really...so many of her recipes have lots and lots of butter.  But it's irresistible!

I hope you enjoyed perusing some of the sites I am hopelessly devoted to... please share with me one of yours?  I'm always looking for new habits to form!

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As always, my blogging friends... I'm so glad you stopped by and commented yesterday and earlier today.  I have tried to visit each of your sites and leave you some props as well... if I haven't it's because I can't get to your site for some reason... I've tried!

Truth in Memories... Does it Matter?

This little girl is so excited she can barely contain herself. A chipmonk sits in her hand. A sibling is sitting behind her, whispering in her ear softly: stay still… don't talk… keep your hand open… don't move... shhhhh...

Can you almost feel the butterflies in her stomach as the chipmonk gets closer and closer? Suspicious... stopping and twitching his nose... inching forward and then skittering backward.  The barely contained squirming... afraid and excited all at once.

I don't remember this instance in my life. At least I don't think I do.  It plays in my head in choppy pictures or a soundless, grainy old movie.  In this photo, I see that the chipmonk reached my hand and climbed up to get the peanut.  Do I actually remember this?  I don't know...

There are so many memories that flit through my head in pieces... like this photograph. Is it a true memory, or is it my memory of the photograph and my imagination creating the story? Will I ever know for sure? What is the Truth?  Does it matter?

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And a quick shout-out to all my Blogging for Scrapbookers readers... you all have made my day for either becoming a Follower of my blog, and/or commenting.  Talk about a bloggy "high".  Thanks for reading and commenting!

The Intent to be True...and Share

So, welcome to all of my new readers.  That would be you... yes, you... reading this post.  Prior to signing up for Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers, I only had one reader... on occasion.

As my life is busy (aren't we all), I will keep this introductory post relatively short.  I have chosen to start a blog twice now, and this second time I am struggling.  Hence, the class.  I love to write and create and I truly want this blog to be a place where I can share those pieces of me with people who are interested. I don't have many people in my household/immediate surroundings that enjoy my creative side... and so, I hope to share, gain comrades and learn all through this blog.

I also want to start to feel more free to express myself, both here in Enjoy the Ride Today... and in my scrapbook pages.  I want to not just scrap events, but emotions... and this is why I am a devotee to SFTIO.  Hopefully both sides, the blog and the scrapping, will help me to open fully, and not fear sharing.

In the meantime, I blame this for why I cannot scrapbook more regularly:

Ah, yes... that is my current scrapbook area, and it is this disorganized 90% of the time.  100% of the time I have to remove this fuzz-butt so I can get crafty. 

Recently I resolved the issue with a kitty bed on the bench beside me... but there are times when MissyKitty here must claim ownership of my time, and she knows the best way to do that is to lounge upon the scrappy space.

I can't wait for each day's prompt... I have enjoyed just this first sharing moment. 

Scrap happy all!